June 20, 2004 - Unions are not political parties. They are organizations of working people.

However, union leaders somehow think of themselves as politicians or even more ludicrously as power-brokers. They peddle their union's credibility with an endorsement of political party candidates. Or worse, they offer their dues money to support a party.

This so-called strategy for helping workers gain political influence is well known as a failure. It makes sense on paper, but in the real world it is a bust. When you match dollar to policy change, workers' are getting less for their Political Action Committee money than they do for their tax dollar.

Union endorsements don't work. They may get the union leadership's vote for the candidate of their choice. Fortunately, union workers have their own mind. They vote for who they want and it is a good thing, too.

Elections Canada did a good turn by the union movement with the edict that reduced union (and corporate) contributions to political parties. The reason given is that these contributions could coopt Canadian democracy or provide donors with undue influence.

The trouble with this "bribery strategy" was that union leaders never understood that they could not outgun their employers. Unions got short shrift. Is there any union leader who can step forward and show me a real increase in their political influence over public policy for endorsing a candidate? Or for donating money to a political party?

Money may talk, but Canadian workers' money can only whisper.

The Canadian union movement should stick to its true strength - being a social movement. Analyze and share why Canadian workers are facing tougher bosses, stagnant pay and longer hours. Organize workers into unions. Build the compassion, awareness and consciousness that leads to workers supporting workers on the job and in their communities. These strategies are the key to true political influence because they will change Canadian society.

Unions that play the political game demonstrate their weakness. Political pay-offs and endorsements are a political shortcut. But shortcuts have their price and the price is paid by Canadian workers themselves.

So union leaders, stop endorsing political candidates and start building a union movement capable and willing to take on employers and the government at the same time. That strategy is worth an endorsement.